Internal combustion engine



Feb. 2, 1937. H. POLICANSKY 2,069,557

INTERNAL COMBUST ION ENGINE Filed Oct. 22, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet l 66 ATTORNEYS Feb. 2, 1937. H. POLICANSKY INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed OCT,- 22, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTOR N EYS.

Patented Feb. 2, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Hyman Polieansky, Cape Town, Union of South Africa Application October 22, 1935, Serial No. 46,099 In Great Britain October 26, 1934 4 Claims.

shutters adapted to be moved into and out of the path of the said vanes to portion the annular chamber into separate compartments such as a compression chamber and a combustion chamber, inlet and exhaust ports to said annular chamber, transfer ports for transferring the charge compressed from a compression chamber formed in front of one of said vanes to a combustion chamber formed behind said vane and means for igniting said charge.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide an improved construction of transfer passage and co-operating scavenging member. A further object of the invention is to provide means whereby the force urging the scavenging member into co-operation with said transfer recess increases with the speed of the engine.

One embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure l is a part sectional elevation of one form of internal combustion engine made in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a cross section on the line 2-2 on Fig. 1 and looking in the direction of the arrow.

Figure 3 is a developed part sectional view of the engine shown in Fig. 1, the section being taken on the line 3-3 and looking in the direction of the arrow.

Figure 4 is a developed sectional View on the line 4-4 on Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrow.

Figure 5 is a detailed elevation of the rotor seen in Fig. 1.

Figure 6 is a sectional view substantially similar to Fig. 2 showing the mechanism for operating shutters 61 and B8.

In the form illustrated in the drawings the engine comprises a stator A formed by two circular disc-shaped sides [0 and a cylindrical portion ll bolted or otherwise secured together.

The sides II] are each formed with circular concentric ribs l2 and said sides Ill and cylindrical portion I I enclose an annular chamber l3 having a groove [4 centrally disposed on the perimeter of the said annular chamber l3, said groove being formed between the inwardly projecting concentric ribs [2. Journalled concentrically in the two sides 1,0 is a shaft, J5 having splines 16 .on which is mounted the rotor I! and cams I8 and IS. The rotor I l is formed with spokes 20, a concentric ring 2!, and vanes 22 and 23 mounted on the periphery of the ring 2|. The ring 2| is shaped to coact with the circular concentric ribs l2 and close the groove H3. The sides It! and the cylindrical portion H are slotted at 24, 25, 23 and 21;

In the sides I 0 and positioned just after the groove 7 27 are inlet ports 28 and just before the groove 24 are positioned twin exhaust ports 29. Diametrically opposed to the ports 28 and 29 are inlet ports 30 and exhaust ports 31. Positioned just after the grooves 24 and 25 are sparking plugs 32 and 33 screwed in to threaded holes in the cylindrical portion I l. Immediately adjacent the exhaust port 29 but just before this is a port 34 controlled by a mushroom valve 35, which is held on its seat by a spring 36, the tension of which is adjustable by means of the thumb screw 31 carried on the'end of the valve stem 38 which is threaded to receive it. The valve stem 38 is mounted in a guide 39 carried by a casting 40 bolted to the cylindrical portion I! by bolts 4|, the casting 4.0 forming a valve pocket and having a conduit 42 to receive gases discharged through the port 34 when the valve 35 is lifted off its seat.

The cylindrical portion II is also formed with two transfer recesses 43 and 43a which serve the purpose of transfer ports. The compression vane 23 is formed with a forwardly directed tapered head 44 and a tapered tail 45. On each side of the Vane are positioned packing glands or compression retaining members 4646. The vane 22 is provided with a scavenging member 41 projecting from a groove 48 in the top of the vane, said scavenging member 47 being carried on an arm 49 pivoted to the vane at 59 and urged out- Wardly by a spring 53a. When the rotor I1 is revolving with any appreciable speed the scavenging member 41 will be acted on by centrifugal force which will operate to assist the spring 50d and augment the pressure of the scavenging member 47 against the cylinder wall I! so that as the speed of the engine increases, the force urging the scavening member 4! into the transfer recess will also increase. The vane 23 hasno scavenging member. Lugs 5| on the outside of the sides III are slotted in line withthe slots 24 to form guides 52 for shutters adapted to be moved into and out of the path of the vanes 22 and 2 3 The tapering head and tail portions 44 and 45 respectively of the compression vane 23 enable a close association to be maintained between these shutters and the vane, whilst the shutters ar e opening and closing to allow the vane to pass.

} '52 are arranged so that each is adapted to be projected half Way across the annular chamber l3. Each shutter 53 is formed with a stepped end 54, the stepped ends 54 overlapping each other when the shutters are. together forming a gas seal. The shutters 53 are also formed with a port 55, the purpose of which will be described hereafter, and a slot 56 which is positioned a pin 51 carried on the end of a cranked lever or rocker 58, the rocker'58 being mounted on a pivot 59 carried in bearings on the sides l0. Tappets 66 mounted in guides 6| in the sides I0 coact with the other end of the rockers 58 to open the shutters 53. Springs 62 urge the shutters 53 towards the closed position.

Similar lugs 63, 64 and 65 are provided in line with the slots 25, 26 and 21 respectively to accommodate pairs of shutters 66, 61 and 68 (see Figs. 3 and 4) The shutters 66 are operated by rockersand tappets exactly similar to the mechanism for operating the shutters 53 '(see Fig. 2).

In Fig. 6 the mechanism for operating the shutters 61 is shown. As this is substantially similar in construction and operation to the mechanism shown in Fig. 2 for operating the shutters 53 the same reference letters have been used whereever possible. The shutters 68 are diametrically opposed to the shutters 61 and their construction and arrangement are identical therewith and will be clearly understood from Fig. 6. It will tive lugs and are intersected thereby. As already stated, the shutters 53 are provided with ports The shutters 66, 61 and 68 are provided with similar ports 13, 14 and 15, the said ports 55, 13,

,14, and 15 co-operating with the passages 69, 10, 1|, and 12 to close said passages when the shutters are open and vice versa.

The operation of the engine will now be described.

For the sake of simplicity, we will first follow the induction, compression, explosion, and exhaust of one charge without referring to what is taking place elsewhere in the engine.

In the position shown in Fig. l the inlet ports 28 are closed and corresponding shutters 68 are open. The exhaust ports 29 are open and corresponding shutters 53 closed. The inlet ports 38 are open and the corresponding shutters 61 are closed. The exhaust ports 3| are closed and the corresponding shutters 66 are open. Starting from this position the rotor |1 rotates counterclockwise in the direction of the curved arrow. As the vane 22 passesthe shutters 68 the said shutters 68 close behind the vane 22, the necessary force being supplied by the springs 62. As the shutters 68 close the inlet ports 28 open by reason of the ports 15 and the shutters 68 coming into register with the passages 69 (see Fig. 3). After the shutters 68 have closed and as the vane 22 continues to move in the direction of the curved arrow, explosive mixture is drawn through the inlet ports 28 into the enlarging space formed between the shutters 68 and the. vane 22. The induction stroke continues until the shutters 68 open to allow the passage of the vane 23 thus closing the inlet ports 28, the vane 22 having in the meantime passed the shutters 53 which open just before it reaches them, and passed on to the shutters 61 which are already open.

As the vane 22 passes the recess 43 the scavenging member 41 in the vane 22 enters the said recess in order to allow the induction stroke to continue. The vane 22 then passes the shutters 61, which close behind it, and the charge of explosive gas induced by the vane 22 is trapped between shutters 61 and vane 23, which has now passed the shutters 68. As the vane 23 approaches the shutters 61, the gas is compressed in that portion of the annular chamber l3 and the compression continues until the vane 23 has passed the shutters 53 which close behind it and reaches the transfer recess 43. The greater part of the compressed charge is then allowed to escape past the vane 23 into the chamber enclosed behind the vane 23 between it and the shutters 53. The transference of gas past the vane 23 continues until the body of the .vane 23 reaches the end of the transfer recess, whereupon aspark is caused to take place at the points of the plug the shutters 66 which close immediately behind The burnt gases are thus trapped bertween the shutters 66 and the vane 22 which has the vane.

now again passed the shutters 53, the approach of the vane 22 expelling the burnt gases through the exhaust ports 3| opened by the closing of the shutters 66. It will be understood that whilst the vane 23 is compressing the gas induced through the port 28 against the shutters 61 in the slots 26, the vane 22 is inducing gas through the port 30 just opened by the closing of the shutters 61 and the explosion of the charge between the vane 23 and the shutters 53 causes the vane 23 to compress the next charge against the shutters 68..

past the vane 23, as it passes the transfer recess 430.. If the pressure of the compression is greater than a predetermined amount, the valve will lift against the spring 36 and allow some of the compressed gas to escape into the conduit 42 and thence back into the induction system (behind the stator A but not shown) of the engine. After passing the port 34 the vane 23 will completely compress a charge in the usual way. The provision of the valve 35 prevents an excessive pressure from being produced in that part of the annular chamber |3 in which it is positioned if desired. Another similar valve may be provided in a diametrically opposite position so as to prevent excessive pressure from being generated in the other half of the annular chamber I3 when compression is taking place in that half.

It will be clear that the tapering portion of the vane enables a close association to be maintained between the shutters and the vane whilst the shutters are opening and closing.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:- 1

1. In a rotary internal combustion engine of the kind having at least one vane adapted to move within an annular chamber, shutters adapted to be moved into and out of the path of said vane and at least one transfer recess in said annular chamber, a scavenging member carried by said vane and adapted to co-operate with said transfer recess, said scavenging member comprising an arm pivotally mounted on said vane and disposed in a recess therein and means for causing said scavenging member to be projected so as to co-operate with and enter said transfer recess.

2. In a rotary internal combustion engine of the kind having at least one vane adapted to move Within an annular chamber rectangular in cross section and shutters adapted to be moved into and out of the path of the said vane, walls to said annular chamber one being a cylindrical Wall at least one transfer recess formed in the cylindrical wall and a scavenging member carried by said vane and adapted to co-operate with said transfer recess.

3. In a rotary internal combustion engine of the kind having at least one vane adapted to move within an annular chamber rectangular in cross section and shutters adapted to be moved into and out of the path of the said vane, walls to said annular chamber one being an outer cylindrical wall at least one transfer recess formed in said outer cylindrical wall, and a scavenging member carried by said vane and mounted for radial movement thereon whereby said scavenging member is urged in a radial direction by centrifugal force into co-operation with said transfer recess.

4. In a rotary internal combustion engine of the kind having at least one vane adapted to move within an annular chamber rectangular in cross section and shutters adapted to be moved into and out of the path of the said vane, walls to said annular chamber one being a cylindrical Wall, at least one transfer recess formed in said cylindrical wall, a scavenging member carried by said vane and adapted to co-operate with said transfer recess, spring means for urging said scavenging member into co-operation with said transfer recess and means for causing centrifugal force to act on said scavenging member and assist said spring means.

I-IYMAN POLICANSKY. 

